The Dreamstress

This week’s Rate the Dress may be familiar to many of you.  For others, it may be a happy (or, this being Rate the Dress, indifferent) introduction.  Whichever the case, I hope you enjoy looking at it more closely!

Last Week:  an 1810s dress is very, very yellow silk

There’s quite a lot that people agreed on about last week’s frock.  You agreed the dress was indeed very historically-accurate-Bridgerton-esque.  That it was most likely later than the date given by the family (which did mean it was exactly the right era to be worn by the sisters).  You almost all thought the sleeves were very nice indeed.  And that the hem treatment was clumsy and unrefined, but that the overall effect was deliciously sunny and happy.

In fact, this was one of the most concensus-y dresses we’ve had in a long time.  There was two ratings for 10, and one for 6, but every other rating clusetered in the 7-9 range, with the vast majority at 8-8.5.  Which means it should be no surprise that the final tally is…

The Total: 8.2 out of 10

A very cohesive rating.

This week: a 1770-80 française in green striped silk

I’ve had this dress on my ‘to feature on Rate the Dress’ list for a long time.  Despite that, I really debated whether to feature this dress as a Rate the Dress.  It’s so well known that it seems redundant to show it.

I finally decided to because it seems unfair not to showcase well known garments: after all, that removes so many of the most visually striking, well photographed dresses out there!

Robe à la française with attached stomacher and matching petticoat, French, c. 1770-1780, silk, imported from China, with silk trim, Philadelphia Museum of Art 1981-9-2a,b

This Robe à  la française dates to the last decade in which the française was still a  fashionable choice, instead of a conservative choice.

Robe à la française with attached stomacher and matching petticoat, French, c. 1770-1780, silk, imported from China, with silk trim, Philadelphia Museum of Art 1981-9-2a,b

The  française may have been on the decline, but this one still demonstrates up-to-the-minute design elements.  Gone are the floating rococo ruffles, replaced by linear trim held down by multiple lines of stitching.  Even the ‘fly fringing’ silk trim is features small, controlled repeats.  The attached stomacher is also typical of this decade.

Robe à la française with attached stomacher and matching petticoat, French, c. 1770-1780, silk, imported from China, with silk trim, Philadelphia Museum of Art 1981-9-2a,b

Interestingly, the striped silk fabric was imported from China.  It’s a great illustration of how extensive the fabric trading networks were at the time, and how the fabrics being imported also reflected changing European tastes.  Instead of the painted florals and exotic scenes that were only available in imported fabrics, these serene stripes could have been woven in Europe, but the fabric was still worth bringing in.

Robe à la française with attached stomacher and matching petticoat, French, c. 1770-1780, silk, imported from China, with silk trim, Philadelphia Museum of Art 1981-9-2a,b

What do you think of this green française with its play on stripes?  Is it the perfect example of late era française?

Rate the Dress on a Scale of 1 to 10

A reminder about rating — feel free to be critical if you don’t like a thing, but make sure that your comments aren’t actually insulting to those who do like a garment.  Phrase criticism as your opinion, rather than a flat fact. Our different tastes are what make Rate the Dress so interesting.  It’s no fun when a comment implies that anyone who doesn’t agree with it, or who would wear a garment, is totally lacking in taste.

As usual, nothing more complicated than a .5.  I also hugely appreciate it if you only do one rating, and set it on a line at the very end of your comment.